We now have a better understanding of the Indians

PBS has outsourced a number of IT projects to an Indian company. In that connection PBS asked Lingtech to train all key employees and subsequently all 140 staff members in the development department in Danish and Indian culture. This together with other initiatives have given PBS a better understanding of the challenges that exist in cross-cultural management.

”Without the training we would have risked jobs not being done or being done incorrectly,” says Claus Lund Pedersen. He is in charge of a department set up by PBS a few years ago, when large IT projects were outsourced to a large software company in Mumbai, India. Part of the job in Denmark was to ensure that the projects were managed in an optimal way by PBS.

The contact to Lingtech was made when PBS needed a number of large documents to be used by the Indian company translated. After a year, PBS wanted Lingtech to train management in direct contact with the Indian company. Together with this contract, PBS launched a number of other initiatives which have meant that understanding of how and why Indians react as they do has increased considerably, thus minimizing the risks related to cross-cultural projects.

”We experienced that we could sit face to face with the Indians and ask: ‘Do we agree that we will start this and that task?’ Everyone at the table would nod, but the job didn’t get done. We simply didn’t understand. Through our training program with Lingtech, we found out that in India the hierarchy is so strong that employees won’t start a new task without direct orders from a superior. So instead we began saying: ‘Can you finish this job by that day?’ Things changed, and work started coming in on time,” explains Claus Lund Pedersen.

Lingtech begin their cultural training by explaining Danish culture, so participants can gain insight into their own cultural background. Culture is like a tree. Everything above ground is what you experience in everyday life: food, relationships, clothing, etc. The roots hidden beneath the earth are the values and traditions that shape us.

Feedback experienced differently

”Indian culture is very hierarchical e.g. you don’t say to your boss that you disagree or that you can’t meet a deadline. You simply nod and hope that you don’t have to return with bad news about a job being delayed,” explains Dorte Kongerslev, instructor for PBS. She is a psychologist and Head of the Cultural Department at Lingtech.

”The reason why the job wasn’t carried out as expected was that the Indians nodded to show that they understood what we had said — not necessarily to confirm that the job would be done. We learned to understand that difference thus enabling us to deal with it,” says Claus Lund Pedersen.

”It is important to point out that one can’t be too specific when talking about cultural differences. Indians are quick to learn and very talented, and I have often heard from Danish employees that the Indian they are working with isn’t like what one hears in general. Cultural understanding is important, in order to avoid some of the most obvious pitfalls,” he says. Another difference is that Danes are more accustomed to criticism/constructive feedback. In India, you don't correct or criticize a person in front of other people.

”In Denmark it is acceptable, for example at meetings, to come with suggestions for improvements. But now we understand why some Indians react very strongly to this, and that puts us in a position to handle the situation differently,” says Claus Lund Pedersen.

Hospitality in Denmark

One of the areas where the two cultures are very different is in relation to hospitality. In India, guests are honored and given very high priority. ”In Denmark, an Indian can feel neglected and not treated very well, because we are not used to going to the same lengths as one goes in India. That, too, is something that can lead to misunderstandings when Indians come to Denmark for periods of time to work for PBS,” says Dorte Kongerslev.